The third bestselling truck brand in the Philippines is getting more aggressive than ever.
There’s no way to go but up for FOTON Motor Philippines, Inc. (FMPI) as the brand continues to entice the growing number of transport companies in the country like PT Global Jet Express, commonly known as J&T Express.
J&T Express was established in Indonesia last 2015. Carrying “Express Your Online Business” as its slogan, the company aims to establish easier and more efficient online business transactions – a way to promote expansion in the trending e-commerce platform.
To date, J&T Express is already considered a global brand, having attained the number 2 spot in Indonesia in terms of the best delivery services and having expanded full operations in neighboring countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and just this year, the Philippines.
J&T Express officially opened its doors in the Philippines last March 2. For their new venture, J&T Express has chosen FOTON trucks as the commercial vehicles for their mass cargo and big deliveries.
“For those planning to start a business, first, you have to know what you want, and J&T Express is very lucky because FOTON has exactly what we are looking for,” announced J&T Express Brand Director Zoe Chi during the FOTON Vehicle Turnover Ceremony at the FMPI Assembly Plant in Clark, Pampanga.
A total of 130 units of various FOTON trucks were purchased by J&T Express. The fleet was composed of 60 units of FOTON Tornado 2E E4, 30 units of FOTON Tornado M4.2C and 40 units of the FOTON Gratour TM – all units having the brand’s signature F-Van body which is most suitable for cargo deliveries.
“We’ve heard a lot about FOTON vehicles, especially their commercial units. Our friends in other countries who work in the same industry shared how functional their FOTON trucks were, that’s why the brand caught our interest.” said Chi.
According to Chi, “One reason why we chose FOTON is because we have the same company values. Just like FOTON, we were also immediately embraced by the market even if we were just a relatively new brand. This made our business grow so fast that enable us to reach more. We also focus on marketing, and we watch out for the trends to provide a satisfying customer experience.”
FOTON trucks are designed to deliver powerful driving performance, high durability, ergonomic comfort, as well as good transport quality and flexible body-building capability – major factors to consider when investing for a transport business. “We also conducted research and evidently, the customer feedback is good. FOTON definitely offers the biggest value for money,” noted Zoe Chi.
The Gratour TM is FOTON’s first-ever cabover truck in their Gratour line. This workhorse is powered by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that puts out 110ps at 6000 rpm along with 142Nm of torque. It’s capable of seating 14 passengers at the back. The side-facing seats can also be folded to provide additional cargo space for long or big loads.
On the other hand, the light-duty truck model that composes 47 percent of J&T Express’ delivery vehicles is the FOTON Tornado 2E E4 F-Van. This 11-footer boasts of a payload capacity up to 2,000 kgs. Its powerplant is also a four-cylinder in-line, water-cooling, CRDi, 4J28TC turbodiesel engine. Its overall dimension of 5,145mm x 1910 mm x 2265 mm (L x W x H) is much bigger than its competitors, which makes it more capable of carrying more goods.
Another truck model is the FOTON Tornado M4.2C. This carries a highly advanced ISF 3.8 FOTON Cummins Engine – a product of the FOTON’s joint venture with iconic diesel power plant expert Cummins. Passing the more stringent Euro 4 emission standard, the turbocharged (with intercooler) engine generates an impressive 600Nm of torque. The FOTON Tornado M4.2C is endowed with a high-strength steel chassis that enables higher freight capacity and heightened stability, particularly when loaded.
Aside from the aluminium F-Van cargo body, also common in the Tornado 2E E4, Tornado M4.2C and Gratour TM trucks exclusively designed for J&T Express is that they are all Euro 4-compliant. This means their engine comes with an upgraded turbocharger, better exhaust-gas recirculation, updated CRDi, diesel oxidizing catalyst (DOC) and a particle oxidizing catalyst (POC), which promotes a cleaner and healthier environment.
Shared FMPI President Rommel Sytin, “With our products, we guarantee that all the J&T Express delivery drivers will be welcomed with a slew of safety and security features that make each journey comfortable and convenient – while assuring owners of a multifunctional workhorse that is also friendly to those driving it.”
FOTON consistently updates their product features, continuing to widen its customer reach through dealership expansions across the country, and proving that the brand is capable of providing what our customers need.
Gratefully exclaimed Sytin, “We would like to send our sincerest gratitude to J&T Express for choosing FOTON for their new venture in the Philippines. It is an honor to be the top choice of a global brand like J&T Express. Just like our brand promise, we hope that the convenience you’re offering to the Filipinos be a key to empower more businesses.”